On a beautiful day in Whitewater, more than 1,800 students were honored for graduating during the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s 2026 spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 16, at Kachel Fieldhouse inside the Williams Center.

Graduates, their friends, and families took advantage of sunny skies and temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s to add to a festive, jovial atmosphere on the Whitewater campus.

Chancellor Corey A. King presided over morning and afternoon ceremonies. Graduates from the College of Arts and Communication and the College of Business and Economics were recognized in the morning, followed by graduates from the College of Education and Professional Studies, College of Integrated Studies, and the College of Letters and Sciences in the afternoon. Graduates from the School of Graduate Studies were honored at both ceremonies.

Morning ceremony

Joe Balistreri, a native of Lake Mills who earned a BBA in management, addressed his fellow graduates at the morning ceremony. A Wisconsin Air National Guard member, Balistreri served at the university as a resident assistant and member of the Whitewater Student Government, and was active in the faith-based EVOLVE Whitewater ministry organization.

“The military taught me discipline, teamwork, and how to stay calm when there is chaos around you, but it was here at Whitewater where I discovered something that I didn’t in the military — and that something was how to sit with someone in their struggle and simply be present,” he said. “How to listen, not to fix, but to understand.”

Balistreri, who will pursue an MBA at UW-Whitewater starting this fall, encouraged graduates to be a bridge to others in need and to be the person the university helped them become as they venture into the real world.

“When you leave this field house, carry all of it with you,” he said. “The wins and the losses. Carry it all. Because it made you who you are.”

Commencement speaker Peter Glerum earned a BBA in management computer systems from UW-Whitewater in 1990. He most recently served as Chief Investment Strategist and Partner at Castlelake and is treasurer on the UW-Whitewater Foundation Board.

Glerum reflected on his career in finance — which spans more than three decades — and said his UW-Whitewater education both inside and outside of the classroom allowed him to build his business acumen and communication skills.

“Whitewater is a small town … you spend time talking, relating, interacting, connecting, and developing your character,” Glerum said. “Your non-classroom education in connecting with those around you is priceless. This place is full of real students, real faculty, real staff, real people.”

Afternoon ceremony

In the afternoon, student speakers Sabrina Wolf and Cade Stowe addressed attendees.

Wolf, who graduated with a B.S. in environmental science with an emphasis in geosciences and a minor in general business, was involved on campus as a resident assistant, as a member of the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Council, and in undergraduate research.

She told the story of getting involved in severe weather forecasting and verification, or “storm chasing,” through undergraduate research, and drew comparisons between that and life as an undergraduate student.

“Our education, experiences, interpersonal skills, networks, the friendships that started by saying ‘hi’ in class, and all of our small daily choices as simple as a kind word or a smile,” Wolf said. “It’s these moments, accumulated over time, that put you in the right position when it matters most.”

Stowe started his journey as a student at UW-Whitewater at Rock County and finished his time at the Whitewater campus with a B.A. in psychology with a minor in sociology. He will continue his education in the counselor education master’s program at UW-Whitewater.

Stowe, who has neurodivergent conditions and has used the Center for Students with Disabilities, spoke passionately about his story and encouraged fellow graduates to embrace the way they see the world.

“When we love ourselves, it becomes much easier to see the humanity in others,” Stowe said. “As we celebrate the legacy we leave here and the people we’ve met along the way, continue becoming the most loving version of yourself.”

Afternoon commencement speaker Reggie Lawrence earned two degrees from UW-Whitewater — a B.S. in elementary education in 1990 and an M.S. in curriculum and instruction in 1992. He currently serves as superintendent of Harvey School District 152 in south suburban Chicago and is a member of the Board of Directors of the UW-Whitewater Foundation.

“At UW-Whitewater, I mattered,” Lawrence said. “From the first day I set foot on campus, I was embraced with open arms by various faculty members.”

Lawrence credited UWW faculty members and his involvement in student government, Black Student Union, and other campus organizations with preparing him for a 30-year career as an educator. He encouraged graduates to let life come to them.

“The world is messy, it’s loud, it’s divided, and at times, it’s exhausting,” Lawrence said. “You will have days when you feel like a tiny drop in a very large ocean. When those days come, I want you to remember this: an ocean is nothing but a multitude of drops. It took a while to form and wasn’t done overnight, so don’t be in a rush or hurry to have your life be perfect.”

Editor’s note: This story was provided by UW-Whitewater.